Florida Pompano

Pound for pound the surf’s hardest fighter, and arguably its best dinner.

Trachinotus carolinus · Also known as: Pomps. Ideal water temp 68–75°F.

Habitat & structure

Surf zone sandbars and troughs, sandy passes and clean-water beaches, digging sand fleas (mole crabs) and coquina clams off the bottom. Runs the beach in spring and fall migrations.

Where they’re biting

Panama City & St. Andrew Bay — Beach troughs March–May; look for "pompano skip" behind waves.
Port St. Joe & Cape San Blas — Cape San Blas surf is a spring-run highway.
Galveston Bay — Clean-water windows on the beachfront, spring and fall.

Season by season

Season	Best bait	Best lures	Notes
Spring	Live sand fleas, fresh peeled shrimp, Fishbites strips	Pompano jigs (banana style) tipped with shrimp	Main migration along Gulf beaches.
Summer	Sand fleas early morning	Small jigs in the swash	Scattered resident fish; dawn is best before swimmers.
Fall	Sand fleas, shrimp on 2-drop rigs	Jigs bounced through troughs	Second run as water cools back through the low 70s.
Winter	Shrimp/Fishbites on calm warm spells	—	South FL holds the winter fishery; northern Gulf is spotty.

Preferred water temperature

Active from 65°F to 80°F — sweet spot 68–75°F. Watch the live water temp on our location pages.

Weather, light & cloud cover

Water clarity is the big variable — they want clean, green, sandy-clear surf. An incoming tide through mid-morning is classic. After big blows, wait for the surf to clean up.

Proven for florida pompano

Pompano Jig (Banana-style) with Teaser — Jig · spring / fall. Hop it through the surf trough on a fast fall. Tip the teaser with a Fishbites strip for extra hookups.
Sand Fleas (Mole Crabs) on Surf Rig — Natural bait · spring / fall / summer. Rake them from the swash at your feet. In CA, a single sand crab on light line is the corbina game.
Squid Strips on Dropper Rig — Natural bait · spring / summer / fall / winter. The tough, stay-on-the-hook option for piers and party boats. In Monterey, whole squid soaked at night calls white seabass.
Fresh Dead Shrimp on Jighead — Natural bait · winter. The cold-water equalizer. Crawl it across the bottom of deep holes slower than feels reasonable.

What should you throw today?

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